Colorado Marijuana Edibles Labeling: A Change of (Candy) Heart?

On Wednesday, March 25 the Colorado Senate voted on a bill that would repeal a Colorado Marijuana Edibles Law passed nearly a year ago.

The bill in question was passed in 2014 and regulated the labeling of marijuana edibles products across Colorado by requiring markings on the edible itself, in order to ensure they do not get mixed up with similar non-cannabis containing treats when removed from the wrapper.

The bill to be voted on Wednesday would remove this requirement, which might allow some edibles retailers back on the shelves they were removed from only 8 months previous. While the reasoning for repeal seems sound, the consequences of doing so could be further reaching than anticipated and could mar the move in the end.

Flip Flopping Fickle-ry

So, why did the Colorado Senate have a sudden change of heart? For the same reason they are always flip-flopping; because they simply cannot agree. When the previous bill was passed, it was done so under the instruction that lawmakers come to a consensus on what particular marking all edibles must contain once removed from the packaging.

Well, spoiler alert: they didn’t. It was especially tough coming together on what the particular indicator would be, sparking the current repeal bill in the first place.

A stamp or symbol works well for solids foods such as brownies or candies, but does not work in liquid concentrates. A tricky solution, to be sure, but not an impossible one. An idea: rather than scrap the wording concerning labeling from the 2014 bill altogether, amend it to not require a visual stimulus. I.e. make everything reek of weed.

Possible Results Marijuana Edibles in Colorado

It’s an unmistakable smell that would hold true throughout all forms of edible cannabis. Instead, the Senate wants to start all over from the beginning. In the mean time, unregulated edibles would once again be on retail shelves, causing the issue the original bill – and to an extent this one – are attempting to alleviate.

The exact vote and consequences of this vote are still yet to be determined, but if the bill passes and regulation of edibles is relaxed, Colorado legislators could be caught in a never-ending loop of regulation that leads to more issues…which, in turn, leads to more regulation. And so on into infinity. Kinda like the meme above…